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USCIS to conduct naturalisation tests via tablet devices

From the start of this month, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) began using digital tablet devices to administer the English reading and writing tests used naturalisation interviews.

The move is part of the agency’s ongoing business modernization efforts. Although USCIS applicants already use digital tablet devices to sign or verify parts of their applications, this new approach expands tablet usage, allowing the device to be used for a greater portion of the application process.

USCIS have stated that they will be able to continue using the paper process on a case-by-case basis.

However, while the tests may have gone digital, the eligibility requirements and the subject material of the naturalisation test have not changed. Immigration Services Officers (ISO) will carefully instruct applicants on how to use the tablets before administering the tests.

For the reading test, a sentence will appear on the tablet device and the ISO will ask the applicant to read it.

For the writing test, several lines will appear on the tablet, replicating the appearance of a piece of blank paper. The ISO will read a sentence aloud and ask the applicant to write it on the tablet.

Applicants will continue to take the civics test verbally, without using tablet devices.